My Pet
by secretfanficlover
Summary: Draco sees a Maledictus at the circus and wants her as his own, fascination grows to fondness as he realises that she is more than what meets the eye. CircusAU, MaledictusAU


**This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

* * *

Word Count: 2322

Title: My Pet

Note: Dramoine for Lun- Merry Christmas and thank you for all you do for me! I will attempt the impossible for you. I hope I make your time until you go home just a little bit sweeter with this.

Opposites attract interpreted in Draco's reserved nature with Hermione's outspoken one.

Warnings: slavery, abuse

Beta: Angel

* * *

Hogwarts

Assignment 10: Ritual & Ceremonial Magic: Winter SolsticeTask #7: Write a fic featuring the trope 'Opposites Attract'.

Yearly:

Prompt 563 [Song] God Help the Outcasts - The Hunchback of Notre Dame

* * *

[Pairing] Dramoine

[Genre] Romance/ Hurt/ Comfort

[AU] Circus!AU

[AU] Maledictus!AU

* * *

Draco Malfoy was walking around the circus with his father until a green tent caught his attention; he could hear the man inside speaking.

"Ladies and gentlemen! I have a special surprise for you all today. We have our very own Maledictus!" the man cried, and Draco curiously went into the tent followed by Lucius. He had heard of these women before. It was an ancient blood curse that affected women that they couldn't control. If it remained untreated, the woman would turn into a snake permanently.

His eyes landed on the large metal cage, and he saw a bushy haired woman with brown eyes; she looked angry and scared. The circus manager was holding a prodder, which explained her fear and position in the back corner of the cage.

"Father, I want her," Draco said suddenly. He longed to own this beautiful woman as his own.

"Draco, I don't think he will part with her," Lucius said as they watched her being prodded when she refused to transform into a large snake.

"He will, for the right price," Draco insisted. He knew his father would give him practically anything he asked for.

"Very true, my boy," Lucius said with a deep chuckle and sauntered towards the man.

Draco knew his father wouldn't understand that there was something underneath his longing to own her. He took in the way the man treated her, and although he didn't intend to set her free, he would treat her better, the way she deserved.

Of course he didn't tell his father about _that_. It wouldn't do for a Malfoy to show mercy to a creature beneath them. He watched his father approach the conductor. The beautiful woman had transformed into an angry hissing beast, and he could understand her.

_"Release me! I'm not a freak!" _she hissed.

Draco said nothing and kept his expression neutral; they didn't advertise his unique ability. His heart ached to do something, even if his body was rooted to the spot. He knew someone needed to help her; she was an outcast.

"_What are you staring at?"_ she hissed demandingly, her gaze focused on Draco now. He had to contain his amusement. She was still a feisty one, no matter the scars he could see marking her to most as a freak.

"_Leave me,"_ she continued, and Draco could swear he saw her roll her eyes, although he thought seriously about her words. Did she suspect he could hear her? And even if he did, what makes her believe he would listen? He kept his distance.

"_I'm going to die a snake," _he heard her say, but this time softer and resigned like the acceptance of a life sentence.

"Okay then, you can have the Maledictus," the conductor said, and Draco had never been more proud to be a Malfoy.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Mr Malfoy said, shaking hands with the conductor.

"She ain't worth the trouble," he muttered, spitting in the direction of the cage. She hissed again with flames in her eyes, attempting to attack the cage although she knew it was futile.

Mr Malfoy summoned his house elves with a snap of his fingers, ordering them to take the cage to Malfoy Manor. She became docile, not attempting to strike at the elves, and Draco wondered why. She behaved like an animal, yet she only attacked the conductor.

* * *

When Draco woke up in the morning, he made sure the house elves had gotten her some food. She got the same breakfast he did, and when he saw her, he saw the bliss in her eyes when she ate.

"Had he been starving you?" Draco asked suddenly, startling her.

"Who are you? And what do you care?" she replied angrily, seeming to forget her food. It was clear this was the best food she had in ages.

"I'm Draco Malfoy, I own you know," Draco said, deliberately letting the last part of the question slip.

"You can't own a human being, not even a Maledictus," she said, but her voice was tired and lacked the venom from the previous night.

"What's your name?" Draco asked. He was fascinated by her even as he stood at a comfortable distance.

"Hermione. Hermione Granger," she said with a hint of pride, taking a piece of bacon in her hand and chewing on the end of it. Finding herself enjoying it, she stuffed the rest in her mouth.

"This is good," she said between bites.

"I'm happy to hear that," Draco grinned.

"They didn't exactly starve me," she replied. "It was just they never gave me anything worthwhile to eat."

Draco's expression wanted to change behind his grey eyes, but a Malfoy couldn't feel sorry for their leaders.

"Is there anything I can get you?" he asked despite himself.

"You could get me out of here," she said cheekily.

"I can't do that, can't just have my investment run off," he said.

Her face went red, but she said nothing. She just sighed, as though she hadn't really expected him to just let her go.

"What about a couple of books?" she asked instead.

"You can read?" Draco asked.

"I'm not an animal, I'm a witch, yes, I can read," she said, and he heard she was gritting her teeth in an attempt not to anger her new master.

"I'll go get some," he said instead. He walked away, wondering what it was about her that fascinated him so much. He could have asked a house elf to take her some books. But he wanted to do it himself.

He knew his father had been given the Maledictus's wand, and it had been placed in their safe so she couldn't get to it. He found it strange that she even had her own wand.

He went into the library, and came across a book on the Maledictus, he was tempted to let her see it, but first he grabbed a few novels and kept the book aside to look at first.

He went back to her cage, and slotted the books through to her.

"Thank you," she replied.

* * *

About a month later, Draco realised there was no need to keep her in a cage, she didn't seem to be acting out, even in her best form she was calm.

"Father, can I give the creature a bedroom? She seems a lot more docile now, and we could just lock it with a charm instead. I think-" Draco got cut off.

"Sure, Draco, but if she escapes, you are responsible," Mr Malfoy said. He seemed like he wanted to get done with this conversation. Draco always knew the best time to get the things he wanted.

He told the house elves to put her in the room while she slept. So that she couldn't run away once the doors of the cage were opened up. Her room was decorated with pinks and flowers. He even made sure there was a small bookshelf, so she could keep herself busy.

* * *

Draco had taken a while before he went into her room, locking the wooden door with a click behind her.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked.

"Do you like the room?" he asked, avoiding her question. The truth was he didn't know what kept drawing him back to her. Once he started reading about her condition, it just caused more questions than answers. If there was a cure, where was her family? Why didn't they help her before it was too late?

"Yes, thank you, I can hardly remember having my own room, and different clothes," she smiled softly. He didn't tell the house elves about leaving her clothes, but he was glad they did. She looked lovely in a white cotton dress, and with her hair finally brushed she looked like a different woman.

His thoughts made him nervous. He was starting to think of her as a woman. He should never have read that book.

"Did you know it is curable now?" he asked, unable to help himself.

Her eyes sparkled with delight.

"Really?"

"Yeah, look," he said, pulling the book out from under his cloak and handing it to her. Their fingers brushed, and he felt a tingling sensation inside him.

Hermione opened the book and he watched her expression change as she read. Her face fell again.

"Nobody would do that for me, I'm a slave, who would care enough to save me?" She asked, sitting down on her bed.

"_I will,"_ Draco said in parseltongue.

"You, you could understand me?" she blushed when she remembered her insults to him that day.

"Yeah, I don't advertise it, but I could speak to you in your other form," he said.

She nodded wordlessly.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why would you save me?" she asked, her hand brushing her hair nervously out of her face.

"I'm not sure yet," he admitted honestly.

She laughed hollowly.

"It takes a blood transfusion, you would do it, but you don't know why?" she asked sceptically.

"I suppose I just think you deserve better," he said.

"The risk to your health is too great, and I'm merely a slave," she insisted. She seemed to know better than to get her hopes up, like this had happened before. He left her room without another word, leaving the door unlocked.

Keeping her trapped no longer appealed to him, but he supposed he still had her wand, and if she believed him, his word that he would help her.

He woke up to see Hermione sitting by his bed, a look of confusion on her face.

"Why didn't you lock me up again?" She asked.

"You never hurt anyone here, I didn't see the need. Your mind is still yours when you are in another body, it's not like you would just attack," he said slowly, sitting up. He was very aware of his body only being covered by his blankets, and a woman of flesh and blood sitting just out of his reach.

"Thank you," she said, smiling to him before standing up and leaving him. He was curious as to how she found his room.

* * *

She stated wandering around the house, and soon she was more a guest in the house than a slave. Draco even sent her out a couple of times without his father knowing about it. He didn't want to explain that he trusted her.

Hermione Granger had become more than just a Maledictus to him, she was a fiery, emotional, woman… something about her uncontrolled emotions appealed to him, he wished he could just say and do whatever he wanted. But a Malfoy was always calm, never lost their temper, never failed, never called fell…

But he was falling, the more he thought of her brown eyes, her wavy hair, the way she looked at him. He was falling in love. He sighed. He took the wand from the vault where it was locked up. He needed to free her.

He walked into her room while she was in the library, and left her wand with a note on the bed.

_Hermione, I believe this belongs to you_

_Draco._

That was all that the note said, but there was so much more he wanted to say.

* * *

He didn't tell his father when he took her to St Mungo's hospital for the experimental treatment, holding her hand. He was going to live up to his word. He felt her hand shaking in his.

"_It's okay to be scared,"_ he hissed softly into her ear.

"_What if something happens to you?"_ she asked back, and her face showed him she wasn't worried about the consequences for herself, she actually seemed to _care_ for him.

Before they got separated, she did something bold. She leaned in and kissed his cheek, before the nurse lead her away into another room.

Draco felt like his cheek was burning from where her lips had touched him, and he hoped that once this was over, the two of them could run away together, as _equals_.

* * *

"Mr Malfoy, the operation on your girlfriend was successful, and she should be conscious soon," the nurse said with a smile.

He didn't bother to contradict her, the thought of her being his girlfriend made his heart race. Then he thought of something and his smile disappeared.

"Will she still be a parselmouth?" he asked. The nurse eyed him curiously at the question.

"Mr Malfoy, we don't know, this operation is very delicate, we haven't had many successful ones," she admitted.

"I see," he nodded. "Call me when she wakes."

"Of course, sir," the woman said, leaving him in the room. He needed to lay down, he had given a lot of blood. As long as he drank the blood replenishment potion he would be all good in no time.

Before he woke up she was sitting beside him, she looked pale and exhausted, but she was grinning.

"_I can't believe you did all this for me," _she hissed in parseltongue.

"You still got it!" Draco exclaimed, he sat up too quickly, making his head spin.

"Yes, I can still speak it, but so far it seems I'm cured, so thank you," she smiled.

"Hermione," he started, holding out a hand for hers. "I want you to be free."

"Free?" she smiled slowly. "And what would I do with freedom?"

"Whatever you chose," he replied reluctantly.

"Free to love?" she asked, she could see her pale face tinted with the smallest blush.

"Of course, whomever you choose," he said, feeling his heart start to shatter at the thought of losing her.

"Then I choose to love you," she said. "I think I've loved you for a long time now."

"You love me?" Draco asked, stunned.

She nodded. "If you don't mind there is only one thing I want to ask," she said seriously.

"Anything," Draco promised in his happiness.

"No pet names," she grinned.


End file.
